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Archive for the ‘3D Plotting Scaffolds’ Category

3-D Printed Organs

Curator: Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP

 

 

 

The Future of 3-D Printing in Medicine

Today’s 3-D printed plastic models of hearts may one day translate into on-demand printed, functional replacement organs
http://www.dicardiology.com/article/future-3-d-printing-medicine?eid=333021707&bid=1408765#sthash.M7AYV16i.dpuf

http://www.dicardiology.com/sites/daic/files/styles/content_feed_large_new/public/field/image/3-D%20printed%20blood%20vessel%20like%20tube%20made%20of%20living%20cells.jpg

A 3-D printed vessel-like lumen made from living cells as part of the research at The South Carolina Project for Organ Biofabrication.

Science fiction offers a lot of ideas for creating new body parts on demand, and the advancement of 3-D printing (also called additive manufacturing) is slowly translating this idea into science fact. Today, the 3-D printed anatomic models created from patient computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or 3-D ultrasound imaging datasets are used for education and to plan and navigate complex procedures. These models are used to teach about complex or rare cardiac or congenital conditions that up until recently could only be seen using examples extracted from cadavers. Today, anatomical models of rare cardiac anatomy can be printed on demand from CT scans of surviving patients.  That concept can now be translated into 3-D printing of implantable devices customized to a specific patient using their imaging. Experts at several medical conferences are also saying printing functional biological replacement tissues is already in development.

Video interview with Dee Dee Wang, M.D., FACC, FASE, Henry Ford Hospital, explaining the use of 3-D printing to aid procedural planning and guidance in complex structural heart cases.

See video examples of 3-D printed hearts as part of the editor’s choice of the most innovative new teachnology at ACC.16. – See more at: http://www.dicardiology.com/article/future-3-d-printing-medicine?eid=333021707&bid=1408765#sthash.M7AYV16i.dpuf

Early Experience Printing Implantable Devices Printed 3-D models are currently used for surgical planning in complex cases, especially in pediatric congenital heart procedures, said Richard G. Ohye, M.D., professor of cardiac surgery, head, section of pediatric cardiovascular surgery, surgical director, pediatric cardiovascular transplant program, co-director, Michigan Congenital Heart Center, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, Mich. However, he explained 3-D printing will soon allow the creation of customized implantable medical devices, including actual tissue or vessel replacements.  In fact, 3-D printed devices are already being used on a small scale.

He presented a case of a three-month-old patient whose airway was underdeveloped and required a splint to hold it open. The patient underwent a CT scan and a 3-D reconstruction of the airway allowed doctors to create a virtual airway splint implant customized to fit into the small anatomy. The design included a “C”-shaped tube that had numerous holes to use as suture anchor points. The shape was designed to allow it to expand outward as the patient grew. They then 3-D printed the splint from bioresorbable plastic and implanted it in the patient. He said the material it was made from is expected to dissolve within three to four years.

The Finnish dental equipment maker Planmeca recently introduced a 3-D printer that allows dental laboratories and large clinics to create dental splints, models and surgical guides. In the near future, the Planmeca Creo printer will also support the creation of intricate, customized temporary fillings. The jump to printing full organs to transplant is much more complex, but the groundwork is being laid today. Ohye said engineered heart tissue created using cardiac stem cells has already been created, but it is limited to a size of about 200 microns. Anything larger requires blood vessels to keep the cells alive, he explained.

3-D Printing of Biological Tissue Implants Research is being conducted to enable 3-D printing of blood vessels, where cells are deposited by the robotically driven printer in patterns that build up layer-by-layer to create a lumen. That same concept is being tested at a few centers to create 3-D print heart valves. Ohye said the process currently being investigated used a printed matrix of biocompatible material, in which stem cells can then be deposited. If the process can be worked out to create engineered, printed organs, these might be used to create benchtop model organs for new drug testing in the next few years. Implantable 3-D printed living organs for transplant into human patients are also a very real possibility.

“Bioprinting is likely to be a huge field for the future of medicine,” said Roger Markwald, Ph.D., director, Cardiovascular Developmental Biology Center, Medical University of South Carolina. He is involved with The South Carolina Project for Organ Biofabrication, one of the groups at the forefront of 3-D bioprinting research. He explained there are too few organ donors to meet demand and there is an even greater need for soft tissues for reconstructive surgeries for things such as injuries, burns, infections, tumor resections and congenital malformations.  “There are too few organ donors to meet the needs,” Markwald said. “At least 21 people die each day because of the lack of implants.”  This organ shortage might be solved in the future by bioprinting organs on demand.

Biomaterials can be printed using current technology, but there is a fatal flaw. “The Achilles heel of tissue engineering today is the need to create vascularity in the structure, and that has been the focus of what we have been trying to do,” Markwald said.   The key to printing vascularizable micro-organs may involve chemical modifications of alginate hydrogels. Markwald’s lab created an oxidized alginate, which is biodegradable and provides stability for 3-D bioprinting. It also is bioactive, allowing cells to migrate and remodel. They created “plug and play” molds to prepare micro-organ constructs for surgical implantation. These are made with the biodegradable alginate, which contain small molecules to promote host vascular in-growth and suppress inflammatory responses.

Bioprinting is enabled using a “biopaper” made of bioresorbable hydrogels. These allow printing of the cells against gravity and allow the cells to grow, interact and function physiologically. Markwald said research is leading to the development of hydrogels specific to each type of organ tissue.  The “bioink” is made from 300 micron diameter spheroids that contain between 8,000-12,000 autologous adipose-derived stem cells. He said it takes about 7 million cells to make 840 spheroids, and it takes thousands of these spheroids to print a 1 mm cube.

Just as 3-D printing allows simultaneous printing of several different colors of materials to build a color 3-D model, bioprinting is being developed to allow use of several different cell types to create complex tissue units.  “Eventually we will be able to make functional hearts or livers,” Markwald said. “What we can print right now are cardiac patches and small- to medium-sized blood vessels, skin tissue, soft tissue (adipose, muscle) for reconstructive surgery, and vascularized micro-organs that can be grown in a bioreactor and used to supplement the function of a diseased organ like the liver.”

Creating 3-D Printable Files Creating files for 3-D printing from medical imaging datasets starts with good imaging, said Shuai Leng, Ph.D., associate professor of medical physics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. “If you start with garbage in, you get garbage out, so you need good image quality,” he stressed.   To create a usable 3-D file, he suggests using 0.6 mm thin imaging slices. This allows for very smooth surfaces. By comparison, he said use of 6 mm slices will make the printed object very rough and textured, appearing pixelated, when it is printed in 3-D.  He said dual-energy CT is great for 3-D printing because it can easily exclude bone so only blood vessels or soft tissue remain in the image area.

Metal implants commonly cause problems when creating 3-D printing files, but dual-energy systems have metal artifact reduction software to separate the metal and artifacts from the anatomy to allow creation of better models.  When using 3-D models for procedural planning and navigation, you need to ensure the precision of the model by using U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared 3-D printing software, such as programs offered by Stratasys or Materialise. The resulting printed models also should be compared to the original images to ensure quality control. Before printing, images should be checked in three planes and approved by a radiologist or the ordering physician.  The final imaging files are converted into STL/CAD files that can be read by the 3-D printers and translated into the final 3-D object.

Legal Considerations Regarding 3-D printing The field of 3-D printing comes with a new set of legal questions hospitals using the technology will need to consider, said Bruce Kline, a technology licensing manager who oversees patents for new technology developed at Mayo Clinic. For starters, he said the STL files printers use are a lot like MP3 music files, in that they can be protected under copyright and require licensing to use. Copyright violations can occur if a purchased STL anatomical model file for rare disease is illegally shared with another institution that did not purchase the file from the vendor that created the file. Under the law, if a device has a functional use it falls under patent law. If it is not functional, it falls under copyright law. Kline said most medical 3-D printing for educational models and complex anatomy evaluation currently falls under copyright. But, he said that will rapidly change in the coming years as customizable 3-D printable medical devices see wider use. Additive manufacturing allows the creation of patient-specific devices at the point of care. Kline said an interesting fact is that these devices are FDA 510(k)-exempt if produced by a hospital instead of a medical device vendor. He said this blurs the lines between traditional vendor relationships, since the hospital can now become the manufacturer. However, if a hospital makes a device, it also becomes liable for it.

He advised that it might be better for a commercial vendor to make the device for the hospital so the vendor assumes the liability of the device.   Custom-made medical devices are also exempt under FDA regulations, Kline said. So, if a physician creates or modifies a device to meet the clinical needs of a specific patient’s anatomy, he said it is acceptable to use under current FDA rules. This may leave the door wide open for use of 3-D printed devices that are customized for each patient using their own 3-D imaging datasets.  It is possible printable device files may become available in the next few years to customize and print on demand. However, Kline said it will be much more difficult to enforce patents on these types of devices. He explained if someone makes one or two devices, there is no economical way for the creator of those device files to go after the user/maker of unlicensed copies of the device to claim lost profits. Currently, Kline said surgical planning models created with 3-D printing are not reimbursable. No CPT code exists for their use, because he said CPT codes are based on clinical trial data showing clinical efficacy to justify reimbursement.

Proposed FDA Guidance for 3-D Printing   In May, the FDA released the draft guidance “Technical Considerations for Additive Manufactured Devices,” for public comment. It is a leapfrog guidance document to provide FDA’s initial thoughts on technical considerations specific to 3-D printed devices. Specifically, this draft guidance outlines technical considerations associated with additive manufacturing processes, and the testing and characterization for final finished devices fabricated using 3-D printing. It is intended to serve as a mechanism by which the agency can share initial thoughts regarding the content of premarket submissions for emerging technologies and new clinical applications that are likely to be of public health importance very early in product development. The draft document was created following a fall 2014 workshop where 3-D printing experts discussed all the facets of 3-D printing and attempted to anticipate the issues and questions that will be raised as 3-D printable devices begin to come before the FDA for review in the coming years. 

The FDA notes that in medical device applications, 3-D printing has the advantage of facilitating the creation of anatomically matched devices and surgical instrumentation by using a patient’s own medical imaging. The FDA said another advantage is the ease in fabricating complex geometric structures, allowing the creation of engineered open lattice structures, tortuous internal channels and internal support structures that would not be easily made or possible using traditional manufacturing approaches.  However, the FDA stated the unique aspects of the printing process, such as the layer-wise fabrication and the relative lack of history of medical devices manufactured using 3-D printing techniques, pose challenges in determining optimal characterization and assessment methods for the final finished device. There are also questions as to the optimal process validation and verification methods for these devices. The FDA is gathering public feedback on the draft document through August, 2016. The draft document can be found online at www.fda.gov/ucm/groups/fdagov-public/@fdagov-meddev-gen/documents/document/ucm499809.pdf

Partnerships Make 3-D More Accessible The setup and maintenance costs for 3-D printing are more involved than many hospitals want to get involved with. This is especially true at centers where there is very limited application. This has led to partnerships between advanced imaging vendors and 3-D printer vendors to create contract services for one-off printing projects.  Advanced visualization software company Vital Images announced a partnership with 3-D printer company Stratasys at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2015 annual meeting. They created the industry’s first print-on-demand service using Vital’s Vitrea advanced visualization software and Stratasys’ 3-D printing services. Vital Images’ software takes patient scans and converts them into STL files that can be sent directly to a 3-D printer, improving workflow efficiency and 3-D printing accessibility.

GE Healthcare is working with 3-D printer vendor Materialise to develop a software package that will allow the easy creation of 3-D printable files from GE 3-D ultrasound sound systems. GE hopes to have commercial product launch for this technology later in 2016.  Materialise already offers its Mimics Innovation Suite software to create 3-D printer files from medical imaging. Its latest version includes the ability to create images not only from MRI and CT datasets, but also from fluoroscopic imaging from C-arms. It also includes a virtual X-ray tool to allow engineers to create projects to find the optimal angle for 2-D/3-D registration. This allows for an evaluation of the 3-D position of bones and implants without a post-operative CT or MRI scan. It has an automated heart segmentation tool to easily separate the cardiovascular anatomy for advanced research and analyses. The vendor said on a good quality dataset, segmentation now requires only a few mouse clicks rather than several hours of tedious work.

Editor’s Choice of the Most Innovative Trends and Technologies ACC.16 – See more at: http://www.dicardiology.com/article/future-3-d-printing-medicine?eid=333021707&bid=1408765#sthash.M7AYV16i.dpuf

Stratasys to Present Power of 3-D Printing at HIMSS 2016 – See more at: http://www.dicardiology.com/article/future-3-d-printing-medicine?eid=333021707&bid=1408765#sthash.M7AYV16i.dpuf

 

Selecting the Right Material for 3D Printing

This industrial 3D printing white paper explores the properties of thermoplastic and metal materials available with direct metal laser sintering, selective laser sintering and stereolithography technologies. It also includes a quick-reference guide of material attributes that can steer you toward the proper grade.

http://whitepapers.ecnmag.com/20160517_proto_3d

Click to access 3D-Printing-Materials-WP-US-Final.pdf

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New method for 3D imaging of brain tumors

Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP, Curator

LPBI

 

 

Third-Harmonic Generation Microscopy Provides In Situ Brain Tumor Imaging

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, April 25, 2015 — A technique involving third-harmonic generation microscopy could allow neurosurgeons to image and assess brain tumor boundaries during surgery, providing optical biopsies in near-real time and increasing the accuracy of tissue removal.

Pathologists typically use staining methods, in which chemicals like hematoxylin and eosin turn different tissue components blue and red, revealing its structure and whether there are any tumor cells. A definitive diagnosis can take up to 24 hours, meaning surgeons may not realize some cancerous tissue has escaped from their attention until after surgery — requiring a second operation and more risk.

Tissue from a patient diagnosed with low-grade glioma.

Tissue from a patient diagnosed with low-grade glioma. The green image is taken with the new method, while the pink uses conventional hematoxylin and eosin staining. From the upper left to the lower right, both images show increasing cell density due to more tumor tissue. The insets reveal the high density of tumor cells. Courtesy of N.V. Kuzmin et al./VU University Amsterdam.

Brain tumors — specifically glial brain tumors — are often spread out and mixed in with the healthy tissue, presenting a particular challenge. Surgery, irradiation and chemotherapy often cause substantial collateral damage to the surrounding brain tissue.

Now researchers from VU University Amsterdam, led by professor Marloes Groot, have demonstrated a label-free optical method for imaging cancerous brain tissue. They were able to produce most images in under a minute; smaller ones took <1 s, while larger images of a few square millimeters took 5 min.

The study involved firing short, 200-fs, 1200-nm laser pulses into the tissue. When three photons converged at the same time and place, the photons interacted with the nonlinear optical properties of the tissue. Through the phenomena of third harmonic generation, the interactions produced a single 400- or 600-nm photon (in the case of third or second harmonic generation, respectively).

The shorter-wavelength photon scatters in the tissue, and when it reaches a detector — in this case a high-sensitivity GaAsP photomultiplier tube — it reveals what the tissue looks like inside. The resulting images enabled clear recognition of cellularity, nuclear pleomorphism and rarefaction of neuropil in the tissue.

While this technique has been used in other applications — to image insects and fish embryos, for example — the researchers said this is the first time it’s been used to analyze glial brain tumors.

Groot and her team are now developing a handheld device for tumor border detection during surgery. The incoming laser pulses can only reach a depth of about 100 μm into the tissue currently; to reach further, Groot envisions attaching a needle that can pierce the tissue and deliver photons deeper.

The research was published in Biomedical Optics Express, a publication of The Optical Society (OSA) (doi: 10.1364/boe.7.001889).

 

Third harmonic generation imaging for fast, label-free pathology of human brain tumors

Biomedical Optics Express 2016  7(5):1889-1904    doi: 10.1364/BOE.7.001889

In brain tumor surgery, recognition of tumor boundaries is key. However, intraoperative assessment of tumor boundaries by the neurosurgeon is difficult. Therefore, there is an urgent need for tools that provide the neurosurgeon with pathological information during the operation. We show that third harmonic generation (THG) microscopy provides label-free, real-time images of histopathological quality; increased cellularity, nuclear pleomorphism, and rarefaction of neuropil in fresh, unstained human brain tissue could be clearly recognized. We further demonstrate THG images taken with a GRIN objective, as a step toward in situ THG microendoscopy of tumor boundaries. THG imaging is thus a promising tool for optical biopsies.

 

Glial tumors (gliomas) account for almost 80% of the tumors originating from brain tissue. The vast majority of these tumors are so-called ‘diffuse gliomas’ as they show very extensive (‘diffuse’) growth into the surrounding brain parenchyma. With surgical resection, irradiation, and/or chemotherapy it is impossible to eliminate all glioma cells without serious damage to the brain tissue. As a consequence, until now, patients with a diffuse glioma have had a poor prognosis, a situation which strongly contributes to the fact that brain tumor patients experience more years of life lost than patients with any other type of cancer [1,2].

Meanwhile it has also been demonstrated that the prognosis of patients with a diffuse glioma correlates with the extent of resection [3–5]. During brain surgery, however, it is extremely difficult for the neurosurgeon to determine the boundary of the tumor, i.e. whether a brain area contains tumor cells or not. If the neurosurgeon could have histopathological information on the tumor boundaries during brain surgery, then recognition of these tumor boundaries and with that, the surgical resection, could be significantly improved.

Occasionally, intra-operative analysis using hematoxylin-and-eosin (H&E) stained sections of snap-frozen material or smear preparations is performed by the pathologist to help establish brain tumor boundaries, but this procedure only allows analysis of small, selected regions, can only be performed on tissue fragments that are already resected, and is rather time consuming (frozen section diagnosis) or does not allow analysis of tumor in the histological context (smear preparations). Fluorescence imaging techniques are increasingly used during surgery [6,7] but are associated with several drawbacks, such as heterogeneous delivery and nonspecific staining [8,9]. In particular, low-grade gliomas and normal brain tissue have an intact blood-brain barrier and take up little circulating dye [10–12]. Alternative techniques are therefore required, that can detect the presence of tumor cells in tissue without fluorescent labels and with a speed that enables ‘live’ feedback to the surgeon while he/she operates.

The past year has seen exciting new developments in which optical coherence tomography [13] and stimulated Raman microscopy [14,15] were reported to reliably detect tumor tissue in the brain of human glioma patients, and a handheld Raman spectroscopy device was even implemented intra-surgical to assess brain tissue prior to excision [16]. These techniques are especially sensitive in densely tumor-infiltrated areas, and for the Raman spectroscopy device study a sensitivity limit of 17 tumor cells in an area of 150 × 150 μm2 was reported. The discriminating power of the Raman techniques is based on subtle differences in the vibrational spectra of tumor tissue and healthy tissue, and they require extensive comparison of experimental spectra against libraries of reference spectra. A technique capable of directly visualizing the classical histopathological hallmark criteria currently used by pathologists for classification of tumor tissue could potentially be even more reliable and make the transition from the current practice—histopathological analysis of fixated tissue—to in situ optical biopsy easier. Diffuse gliomas are histopathologically characterized by variably increased cellularity, nuclear pleomorphism and—especially in higher-grade neoplasms—brisk mitotic activity, microvascular proliferation, and necrosis. To visualize these features in live tissue, a technique that elucidates the morphology of tissue is required. In this context, third harmonic generation (THG) microscopy is a promising tool because of its capacity to visualize almost the full morphology of tissue. THG is a nonlinear optical process that relies on spatial variations of the third-order non-linear susceptibility χ(3) intrinsic to the tissue and (in the case of brain tissue) mainly arises from interfaces with lipid-rich molecules [17–27]. SHG signals arise from an optical nonlinear process involving non-centrosymmetric molecules present in, for example, microtubules and collagen. THG has been successfully applied to image unstained samples such as insect embryos, plant seeds and intact mammalian tissue [28], epithelial tissues [29–31], zebra fish embryos [32], and the zebra fish nervous system [33]. In brain tissue of mice, augmented by co-recording of SHG signals, THG was shown to visualize cells, nuclei, the inner and outer contours of axons, blood cells, and vessels, resulting in the visualization of both gray and white matter (GM and WM) as well as vascularization, up to a depth of 350 μm [24,26]. Here, we explore the potential of THG and SHG imaging for real time analysis of ex-vivo human brain tissue in the challenging cases of diffuse tumor invasion in low-grade brain tumors as well as of high-grade gliomas and structurally normal brain tissues.

 

Multiphoton imaging

THG and SHG are nonlinear optical processes that may occur in tissue depending on the nonlinear susceptibility coefficients χ(3) and χ(2) of the tissue and upon satisfying phase matching conditions [17–19,21,23–27]. In the THG process, three incident photons are converted into one photon with triple energy and one third of the wavelength (Fig. 1(A)). In the SHG process, signals result from the conversion of an incident photon pair into one photon with twice the energy and half the wavelength. Two- and three photon excited fluorescence signals (2PF, 3PF) may simultaneously be generated by intrinsic proteins (Fig. 1(B)). As a result, a set of distinct (harmonic) and broadband (autofluorescence) spectral peaks is generated in the visible range. The imaging setup (Fig. 1(C)) to generate and collect these signals consisted of a commercial two-photon laser-scanning microscope (TriMScope I, LaVision BioTec GmbH) and a femtosecond laser source. The laser source was an optical parametric oscillator (Mira-OPO, APE) pumped at 810 nm by a Ti-sapphire oscillator (Coherent Chameleon Ultra II). The OPO generates 200 fs pulses at 1200 nm with a repetition rate of 80 MHz. We selected this wavelength as it falls in the tissue transparency window, providing deeper penetration and reduced photodamage compared to the 700–1000 nm range, as well as harmonic signals generated in the visible wavelength range, facilitating their collection and detection with conventional objectives and detectors. We focused the OPO beam on the sample using a 25 × /1.10 (Nikon APO LWD) water-dipping objective (MO). The 1200 nm beam focal spot size on the sample was dlateral ~0.7 μm and daxial ~4.1 μm. It was measured with 0.175 μm fluorescent microspheres (see Section 3.4) yielding two- and three-photon resolution values Δ2P,lateral ~0.5 μm, Δ2P,axial ~2.9 μm, Δ3P,lateral ~0.4 μm, and Δ3P,axial ~2.4 μm. Two high-sensitivity GaAsP photomultiplier tubes (PMT, Hamamatsu H7422-40) equipped with narrowband filters at 400 nm and 600 nm were used to collect the THG and SHG signals, respectively, as a function of position of the focus in the sample. The signals were filtered from the 1200 nm fundamental photons by a dichroic mirror (Chroma T800LPXRXT, DM1), split into SHG and THG channels by a dichroic mirror (Chroma T425LPXR, DM2), and passed through narrow-band interference filters (F) for SHG (Chroma D600/10X) and THG (Chroma Z400/10X) detection. The efficient back-scattering of the harmonic signals allowed for their detection in epi-direction. The laser beam was transversely scanned over the sample by a pair of galvo mirrors (GM). THG and SHG modalities are intrinsically confocal and therefore provide direct depth sectioning. We obtained a full 3D image of the tissue volume by scanning the microscope objective with a stepper motor in the vertical (z) direction. The mosaic imaging of the sample was performed by transverse (xy) scanning of the motorized translation stage. Imaging data was acquired with the TriMScope I software (“Imspector Pro”); image stacks were stored in 16-bit tiff-format and further processed and analyzed with “ImageJ” software (ver. 1.49m, NIH, USA). All images were processed with logarithmic contrast enhancement.

Fig. 1 THG/SHG microscopy for brain tissue imaging. (A) Energy level diagram of the second (SHG) and third (THG) harmonic generation process. (B) Energy level diagram of the two- (2PF) and three-photon (3PF) excited auto-fluorescence process. (C) Multiphoton microscope setup: Laser producing 200 fs pulses at 1200 nm; GM – X-Y galvo-scanner mirrors; SL – scan lens; TL – tube lens; MO – microscope objective; DM1 – dichroic mirror reflecting back-scattered THG/SHG photons to the PMT detectors; DM2 – dichroic mirror splitting SHG and THG channels; F – narrow-band SHG and THG interference filters; L – focusing lenses; PMT – photomultiplier tube detectors. (D) Infrared photons (white arrow) are focused deep in the brain tissue, converted to THG (green) and SHG (red) photons, scattered back (green/red arrows) and epi-detected. The nonlinear optical processes result in label-free contrast images with sub-cellular resolution and intrinsic depth sectioning. (E and F) Freshly-excised low-grade (E) and high-grade (F) glioma tissue samples in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) in a Petri dish with a millimeter paper underneath for scale. (G) An agar-embedded tumor tissue sample under 0.17 mm glass cover slip with the microscope objective (MO) on top.   Download Full Size | PPT Slide

Endomicroscopy imaging

For endomicroscopic imaging we used a commercial high-numerical-aperture (NA) multi-element micro-objective lens (GT-MO-080-018-810, GRINTECH) composed of a plano-convex lens and two GRaded INdex (GRIN) lenses with aberration compensation, object NA = 0.80 and object working distance 200 µm (in water), image NA = 0.18 and image working distance 200 µm (in air), magnification × 4.8 and field-of-view diameter of 200 μm. The GRIN lenses and the plano-convex lens were mounted in a waterproof stainless steel housing with an outer diameter of 1.4 mm and a total length of 7.5 mm. Originally designed for a wavelength range of 800–900 nm [36–41], this micro-objective lens was used for focusing of 1200 nm femtosecond pulses and collection of back-scattered harmonic and fluorescence photons. A coupling lens with f = 40 mm (NA = 0.19, Qioptiq, ARB2 NIR, dia. 25 mm) focused the scanned laser beam in the image plane of the micro-objective lens and forwarded the epi-detected harmonic and fluorescence photons to the PMTs.

We characterized the lateral (x) and axial (z) resolution of the micro-objective lens by 3D imaging of fluorescence microspheres (PS-Speck Microscope Point Source Kit, P7220, Molecular Probes). We used “blue” and “deep red” microspheres, 0.175 ± 0.005 μm in diameter, with excitation/emission maxima at 360/440 nm and 630/660 nm to obtain three-photon (3P) and two-photon (2P) point spread function (PSF) profiles. The excitation wavelength was 1200 nm, and fluorescence signals were detected in the 400 ± 5 nm (3P) and 600 ± 5 nm (2P) spectral windows, just as in the brain tissue imaging experiments. 1 μL of “blue” and “deep red” sphere suspensions were applied to a propanol-cleaned 75 × 26 × 1 mm3 glass slide. The mixed microsphere suspension was left to dry for 20 min and was then imaged with the micro-objective lens via a water immersion layer. The assembly of the coupling lens and the micro-objective lens was vertically (z) scanned with a step of 0.5 μm, and stacks of two-/three-photon images were recorded. The line profiles were then taken over the lateral (xy) images of the fluorescent spheres with maximal intensity (in focus), and fluorescence counts were plotted as function of the lateral coordinate (x). The axial (z) scan values of the two- and three-photon fluorescence signals were acquired by averaging of the total fluorescence counts of the corresponding spheres and were plotted as function of the axial coordinate (z). Lateral (x) and axial (z) 2P/3P points were then fitted with Gaussian functions and full width at half-maximum (FWHM) values were measured.

……. Results….  Conclusions

The results shown here provide the first evidence that—by applying the same microscopic criteria that are used by the pathologist, i.e. increased cellularity, nuclear pleomorphism, and rarefaction of neuropil—THG/SHG ex-vivo microscopy can be used to recognize the presence of diffuse infiltrative glioma in fresh, unstained human brain tissue. Images and a first diagnosis can be provided in seconds, with the ‘inspection mode’, by moving the sample under the scanning microscope (see Visualization 4 and Visualization 5), or in about 5 minutes if an area has to be inspected with sub-cellular detail. The sensitivity of THG to interfaces provides images with excellent contrast in which cell-by-cell variations are visualized. The quality of the images and the speed with which they can be recorded make THG a promising tool for quick assessment of the nature of excised tissue. Importantly, because THG/SHG images are very close to those of histological slides, we expect that the surgeon (or pathologist) will need very little additional training for adequate interpretation of the images. We are planning to construct a THG/SHG ex-vivo tabletop device consisting of a compact laser source and a laser-scanning microscope requiring a physical footprint of only 1 m2, to be placed in an operating room, enabling immediate feedback to the surgeon on the nature of excised tissue, during the operation. With this device, we will perform a quantitative study of the added value of rapid THG/SHG pathological feedback during surgery for the final success of the neurosurgery. Finally, we note that THG/SHG imaging does not induce artifacts associated with fixation, freezing, and staining; therefore, tissue fragments examined ex-vivo can still be used for subsequent immunochemical and/or molecular analysis.

The microendoscopy THG/SHG imaging results represent an important step toward the development of a THG/SHG-based bioptic needle, and show that the use of such a needle for in situ optical sampling for optimal resection of gliomas is indeed a viable prospect, as has been demonstrated also before for multi-photon microscopies [38,49–54]. Although there are several issues associated with the operation of a needle-like optical device, such as the fact that blood in the surgical cavity may obscure the view, and the fact that only small areas can be biopsied with a needle, it may be a valuable tool in cases where sparing healthy tissue is of such vital importance as in brain surgery. Therefore, the reasonably good quality of the THG images taken with the GRIN micro-objective shown here, together with the developments in the field of microendoscopy, warrant further development of THG/SHG into a true handheld device. This next step, a true handheld bioptic needle, requires an optical fiber to transport the light from a small footprint laser to the GRIN micro-objective, and a small 2D scanner unit, to enable placing the laser at a sufficient distance from the patient. Patient-safe irradiation levels for THG imaging will have to be determined but are expected to lie in the 10–50 mW range [55–58]. This implies that only minor optimization of signal collection efficiency needs to be achieved, because the images of Fig. 10 were measured with 50 mW incident power.

THG/SHG imaging thus holds great promise for improving surgical procedures, thereby reducing the need for second surgeries and the loss of function by excising non-infiltrated brain tissue, as well as improving survival and quality of life of the patients. In addition, the success in the challenging case of diffuse gliomas promises great potential of THG/SHG-based histological analysis for a much wider spectrum of diagnostic applications.

References and links

1. N. G. Burnet, S. J. Jefferies, R. J. Benson, D. P. Hunt, and F. P. Treasure, “Years of life lost (YLL) from cancer is an important measure of population burden–and should be considered when allocating research funds,” Br. J. Cancer 92(2), 241–245 (2005). [PubMed]  

2. J. A. Schwartzbaum, J. L. Fisher, K. D. Aldape, and M. Wrensch, “Epidemiology and molecular pathology of glioma,” Nat. Clin. Pract. Neurol. 2(9), 494–516 (2006). [CrossRef]   [PubMed]  

3. J. S. Smith, E. F. Chang, K. R. Lamborn, S. M. Chang, M. D. Prados, S. Cha, T. Tihan, S. Vandenberg, M. W. McDermott, and M. S. Berger, “Role of extent of resection in the long-term outcome of low-grade hemispheric gliomas,” J. Clin. Oncol. 26(8), 1338–1345 (2008). [CrossRef]   [PubMed]  

4. N. Sanai and M. S. Berger, “Glioma extent of resection and its impact on patient outcome,” Neurosurgery 62(4), 753–766 (2008). [CrossRef]   [PubMed]  

5. I. Y. Eyüpoglu, M. Buchfelder, and N. E. Savaskan, “Surgical resection of malignant gliomas-role in optimizing patient outcome,” Nat. Rev. Neurol. 9(3), 141–151 (2013). [CrossRef]  [PubMed]  

6. U. Pichlmeier, A. Bink, G. Schackert, and W. Stummer, “Resection and survival in glioblastoma multiforme: An RTOG recursive partitioning analysis of ALA study patients,” Neuro-oncol. 10(6), 1025–1034 (2008). [CrossRef]   [PubMed]  

7. W. Stummer, J. C. Tonn, C. Goetz, W. Ullrich, H. Stepp, A. Bink, T. Pietsch, and U. Pichlmeier, “5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Derived Tumor Fluorescence: The Diagnostic Accuracy of Visible Fluorescence Qualities as Corroborated by Spectrometry and Histology and Postoperative Imaging,” Neurosurgery 74(3), 310–320 (2014). [CrossRef]   [PubMed]  

….. more

Tables (1)

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Table 1 Pre-operative diagnoses and cell densities observed in the studied brain tissue samples by THG imaging and corresponding H&E histopathology.

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Mid Atlantic LRIG 22nd Annual Technology Showcase: Agenda on 3D Bioprinting on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at Holiday Inn, 195 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, NJ

Reporter: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D.

 

Symposium Speakers and Topics:

Human Organoids
Hatem E. Sabaawy-Director, Production GMP Facility for Cell and Gene Therapy, RBHS-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Intestinal Organoids for Drug Discovery
Richard Visconti-Associate Principal Scientist, Cellular Pharmacology, Merck Research Laboratories, Kenilworth,  New Jersey

3D Bioprinting
Elizabeth Wu-President, WuZenTech, Edison, New Jersey

Building  Your Brand  Through LinkedIn
Stan Robinson, Jr., LinkedIn Consultant, Helping Professionals with Social Selling, Personal Branding

Register at EventBrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mid-atlantic-22nd-annual-technology-and-exhibition-tickets-21359945171 

To sign up to be an LRIG member or update your profile, please visit us at http://lrig.org
Hoping to see you on May 11th.
Reserve your spot today!

 

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GE’s large scale 3D cookbook

Curator: Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP

 

 

Major Laser: These Scientists Are Writing the 3D-Printing Cookbook for GE

Additive manufacturing engineer Brian Adkins in full gear is preparing a DMLM machine for printing. (Photo credit: GE Reports/Chris New)

It would be a stretch to say that Joe Vinciquerra is the Julia Child of GE. But Vinciquerra, the manager of the newly formed Additive Materials Lab at GE Global Research, is creating a cookbook that will likely impact manufacturing across GE the same way “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” shook up American kitchens.

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is exploding right now. GE estimates that by 2025, more than 20 percent of new products will involve additive processes of some kind. But there’s no cookbook that standardizes the recipes, which have oodles of parameters that determine the properties of the final part.

“It’s like baking a cake. You need to start with the right recipe, then you need to have the right ingredients and the right oven,” Vinciquerra says. “A cup of materials science, a tablespoon of design and a whole lot of machine-control strategies must come together and yield perfection.”

Technologies like direct metal laser melting (DMLM), for example, can involve several lasers as powerful as 1 kilowatt—enough to burn a hole in a wall—fusing as many as 1,250 layers of fine superalloy powder into the desired shape. Some large builds can take days to finish.

support block with 3D printed parts inside a DMLM printed in Pittsburgh. (Photo credit: GE Reports/Chris New)

Last week, GE opened a new industrial-scale 3D-printing center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It will work closely with Vinciquerra’s team, test their findings and get GE factories quickly cooking with additive.

His team has already started testing and tabling the powdered materials used in additive manufacturing and their properties. “We want to know how they come together, how they affect each other and what machines and processes are best suited for them,” Vinciquerra says. “It’s just like a gourmet recipe. We need to know how our ingredients are going to react in a mixer or an oven. And what changes can we make to those ingredients, the mixer or the oven to produce a more palatable dish?”

The team is pulling in expertise from other labs on the GE Global Research campus in Niskayuna, New York, including scientists focusing on nanomaterials, microstructures and machine design. The company calls the cross-pollination of know-how the GE Store.

inciquerra (right) and Andy Deal, a metallurgist in the Additive Materials Lab are loading sets of sample 3D printed metal parts in a vacuum oven for post-processing at GE Global Research. (Photo credit: GE Global Research.)      http://www.pharmpro.com/sites/pharmpro.com/files/styles/content_body_image/public/embedded_image/2016/04/Major%20Laser_GE%20Reports_3.jpg?itok=GSQMNM4L

 

GE materials scientists are no strangers to new materials. They spent two decades developing light- and heat-resistant materials called ceramic matrix composites that outperform even the most advanced superalloys and make jet engines and gas turbines lighter and more efficient. But additive materials live in a different universe. “With additive, you can design as you go and create architectures that cannot be manufactured by any other means,” Vinciquerra says.

He says that GE engineers can already design components with sophisticated, performance-enhancing features previously unattainable by any other means of manufacturing. The next-generation LEAP jet engine—developed by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aviation and France’s Snecma (Safran)—uses 3D-printed fuel nozzles, which are 25 percent lighter and five times more durable. They used to be made from 18 separate parts and now they come in one piece. A year ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a fist-sized housing for a sensor as the first 3D-printed part to fly inside GE commercial jet engines.

“This is just the beginning,” Vinciquerra says. “Someday, we may even be able to combine materials together in ways previously not possible to unlock new capabilities that never existed. Can I create a new class of materials that open the design envelope and push the limits of durability and heat resistance beyond what we thought was even possible? We’re going to find out.”

To read the original story, published on GE Reports, click here

 

 

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3D revolution and tissue repair

Curator: Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP

 

 

Berkeley Lab captures first high-res 3D images of DNA segments

DNA segments are targeted to be building blocks for molecular computer memory and electronic devices, nanoscale drug-delivery systems, and as markers for biological research and imaging disease-relevant proteins

In a Berkeley Lab-led study, flexible double-helix DNA segments (purple, with green DNA models) connected to gold nanoparticles (yellow) are revealed from the 3D density maps reconstructed from individual samples using a Berkeley Lab-developed technique called individual-particle electron tomography (IPET). Projections of the structures are shown in the green background grid. (credit: Berkeley Lab)

An international research team working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has captured the first high-resolution 3D images of double-helix DNA segments attached at either end to gold nanoparticles — which could act as building blocks for molecular computer memory and electronic devices (see World’s smallest electronic diode made from single DNA molecule), nanoscale drug-delivery systems, and as markers for biological research and for imaging disease-relevant proteins.

The researchers connected coiled DNA strands between polygon-shaped gold nanoparticles and then reconstructed 3D images, using a cutting-edge electron microscope technique coupled with a protein-staining process and sophisticated software that provided structural details at the scale of about 2 nanometers.

“We had no idea about what the double-strand DNA would look like between the gold nanoparticles,” said Gang “Gary” Ren, a Berkeley Lab scientist who led the research. “This is the first time for directly visualizing an individual double-strand DNA segment in 3D,” he said.

The results were published in an open-access paper in the March 30 edition of Nature Communications.

The method developed by this team, called individual-particle electron tomography (IPET), had earlier captured the 3-D structure of a single protein that plays a key role in human cholesterol metabolism. By grabbing 2D images of an object from different angles, the technique allows researchers to assemble a 3D image of that object.

The team has also used the technique to uncover the fluctuation of another well-known flexible protein, human immunoglobulin 1, which plays a role in the human immune system.

https://youtu.be/lQrbmg9ry90
Berkeley Lab | 3-D Reconstructions of Double strand DNA and Gold Nanoparticle Structures

For this new study of DNA nanostructures, Ren used an electron-beam study technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to examine frozen DNA-nanogold samples, and used IPET to reconstruct 3-D images from samples stained with heavy metal salts. The team also used molecular simulation tools to test the natural shape variations (“conformations”) in the samples, and compared these simulated shapes with observations.

First visualization of DNA strand dynamics without distorting x-ray crystallography

Ren explained that the naturally flexible dynamics of samples, like a man waving his arms, cannot be fully detailed by any method that uses an average of many observations.

A popular way to view the nanoscale structural details of delicate biological samples is to form them into crystals and zap them with X-rays, but that destroys their natural shape, especially fir the DNA-nanogold samples in this study, which the scientists say are incredibly challenging to crystallize. Other common research techniques may require a collection of thousands of near-identical objects, viewed with an electron microscope, to compile a single, averaged 3-D structure. But an averaged 3D image may not adequately show the natural shape fluctuations of a given object.

The samples in the latest experiment were formed from individual polygon gold nanostructures, measuring about 5 nanometers across, connected to single DNA-segment strands with 84 base pairs. Base pairs are basic chemical building blocks that give DNA its structure. Each individual DNA segment and gold nanoparticle naturally zipped together with a partner to form the double-stranded DNA segment with a gold particle at either end.

https://youtu.be/RDOpgj62PLU
Berkeley Lab | These views compare the various shape fluctuations obtained from different samples of the same type of double-helix DNA segment (DNA renderings in green, 3D reconstructions in purple) connected to gold nanoparticles (yellow).

The samples were flash-frozen to preserve their structure for study with cryo-EM imaging. The distance between the two gold nanoparticles in individual samples varied from 20 to 30 nanometers, based on different shapes observed in the DNA segments.

Researchers used a cryo-electron microscope at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry for this study. They collected a series of tilted images of the stained objects, and reconstructed 14 electron-density maps that detailed the structure of individual samples using the IPET technique.

Sub-nanometer images next

Ren said that the next step will be to work to improve the resolution to the sub-nanometer scale.

“Even in this current state we begin to see 3-D structures at 1- to 2-nanometer resolution,” he said. “Through better instrumentation and improved computational algorithms, it would be promising to push the resolution to that visualizing a single DNA helix within an individual protein.”

In future studies, researchers could attempt to improve the imaging resolution for complex structures that incorporate more DNA segments as a sort of “DNA origami,” Ren said. Researchers hope to build and better characterize nanoscale molecular devices using DNA segments that can, for example, store and deliver drugs to targeted areas in the body.

“DNA is easy to program, synthesize and replicate, so it can be used as a special material to quickly self-assemble into nanostructures and to guide the operation of molecular-scale devices,” he said. “Our current study is just a proof of concept for imaging these kinds of molecular devices’ structures.”

The team included researchers at UC Berkeley, the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley, and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, National Institutes of Health, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Xi’an Jiaotong University in China, and the Ministry of Science and Technology in China. View more about Gary Ren’s research group here.


Abstract of Three-dimensional structural dynamics and fluctuations of DNA-nanogold conjugates by individual-particle electron tomography

DNA base pairing has been used for many years to direct the arrangement of inorganic nanocrystals into small groupings and arrays with tailored optical and electrical properties. The control of DNA-mediated assembly depends crucially on a better understanding of three-dimensional structure of DNA-nanocrystal-hybridized building blocks. Existing techniques do not allow for structural determination of these flexible and heterogeneous samples. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy and negative-staining electron tomography approaches to image, and three-dimensionally reconstruct a single DNA-nanogold conjugate, an 84-bp double-stranded DNA with two 5-nm nanogold particles for potential substrates in plasmon-coupling experiments. By individual-particle electron tomography reconstruction, we obtain 14 density maps at ~2-nm resolution. Using these maps as constraints, we derive 14 conformations of dsDNA by molecular dynamics simulations. The conformational variation is consistent with that from liquid solution, suggesting that individual-particle electron tomography could be an expected approach to study DNA-assembling and flexible protein structure and dynamics.

 

World’s smallest electronic diode made from single DNA molecule

Electronic components 1,000 times smaller than with silicon may be possible
http://www.kurzweilai.net/worlds-smallest-electronic-diode-made-from-single-dna-molecule
By inserting a small “coralyne” molecule into DNA, scientists were able to create a single-molecule diode (connected here by two gold electrodes), which can be used as an active element in future nanoscale circuits. The diode circuit symbol is shown on the left. (credit: University of Georgia and Ben-Gurion University)

Nanoscale electronic components can be made from single DNA molecules, as researchers at the University of Georgia and at Ben-Gurion University in Israel have demonstrated, using a single molecule of DNA to create the world’s smallest diode.

DNA double helix with base pairs (credit: National Human Genome Research Institute)

A diode is a component vital to electronic devices that allows current to flow in one direction but prevents its flow in the other direction. The development could help stimulate development of DNA components for molecular electronics.

As noted in an open-access Nature Chemistry paper published this week, the researchers designed a 11-base-pair (bp) DNA molecule and inserted a small molecule named coralyne into the DNA.*

They found, surprisingly, that this caused the current flowing through the DNA to be 15 times stronger for negative voltages than for positive voltages, a necessary feature of a diode.

Electronic elements 1,00o times smaller than current components

“Our discovery can lead to progress in the design and construction of nanoscale electronic elements that are at least 1,000 times smaller than current components,” says the study’s lead author, Bingqian Xu an associate professor in the UGA College of Engineering and an adjunct professor in chemistry and physics.

The research team plans to enhance the performance of the molecular diode and construct additional molecular devices, which may include a transistor (similar to a two-layer diode, but with one additional layer).

A theoretical model developed by Yanantan Dubi of Ben-Gurion University indicated the diode-like behavior of DNA originates from the bias voltage-induced breaking of spatial symmetry inside the DNA molecule after the coralyne is inserted.

The research is supported by the National Science Foundation.

*“We prepared the DNA–coralyne complex by specifically intercalating two coralyne molecules into a custom-designed 11-base-pair (bp) DNA molecule (5′-CGCGAAACGCG-3′) containing three mismatched A–A base pairs at the centre,” according to the authors.

UPDATE April 6, 2016 to clarify the coralyne intercalation (insertion) into the DNA molecule.


Abstract of Molecular rectifier composed of DNA with high rectification ratio enabled by intercalation

The predictability, diversity and programmability of DNA make it a leading candidate for the design of functional electronic devices that use single molecules, yet its electron transport properties have not been fully elucidated. This is primarily because of a poor understanding of how the structure of DNA determines its electron transport. Here, we demonstrate a DNA-based molecular rectifier constructed by site-specific intercalation of small molecules (coralyne) into a custom-designed 11-base-pair DNA duplex. Measured current–voltage curves of the DNA–coralyne molecular junction show unexpectedly large rectification with a rectification ratio of about 15 at 1.1 V, a counter-intuitive finding considering the seemingly symmetrical molecular structure of the junction. A non-equilibrium Green’s function-based model—parameterized by density functional theory calculations—revealed that the coralyne-induced spatial asymmetry in the electron state distribution caused the observed rectification. This inherent asymmetry leads to changes in the coupling of the molecular HOMO−1 level to the electrodes when an external voltage is applied, resulting in an asymmetric change in transmission.

 

A stem-cell repair system that can regenerate any kind of human tissue …including disease and aging; human trials next year
http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-stem-cell-repair-system-that-can-regenerate-any-kind-of-human-tissue

http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/spinal_disc_regeneration.jpg

UNSW researchers say the therapy has enormous potential for treating spinal disc injury and joint and muscle degeneration and could also speed up recovery following complex surgeries where bones and joints need to integrate with the body (credit: UNSW TV)

A stem cell therapy system capable of regenerating any human tissue damaged by injury, disease, or aging could be available within a few years, say University of New South Wales (UNSW Australia) researchers.

Their new repair system*, similar to the method used by salamanders to regenerate limbs, could be used to repair everything from spinal discs to bone fractures, and could transform current treatment approaches to regenerative medicine.

The UNSW-led research was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Reprogramming bone and fat cells

The system reprograms bone and fat cells into induced multipotent stem cells (iMS), which can regenerate multiple tissue types and has been successfully demonstrated in mice, according to study lead author, haematologist, and UNSW Associate Professor John Pimanda.

“This technique is a significant advance on many of the current unproven stem cell therapies, which have shown little or no objective evidence they contribute directly to new tissue formation,” Pimanda said. “We have taken bone and fat cells, switched off their memory and converted them into stem cells so they can repair different cell types once they are put back inside the body.”

“We are currently assessing whether adult human fat cells reprogrammed into iMS cells can safely repair damaged tissue in mice, with human trials expected to begin in late 2017.”

http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/UNSW-stem-cell-repair.jpg

Advantages over stem-cell types

There are different types of stem cells including embryonic stem (ES) cells, which during embryonic development generate every type of cell in the human body, and adult stem cells, which are tissue-specific, but don’t regenerate multiple tissue types. Embryonic stem cells cannot be used to treat damaged tissues because of their tumor forming capacity. The other problem when generating stem cells is the requirement to use viruses to transform cells into stem cells, which is clinically unacceptable, the researchers note.

Research shows that up to 20% of spinal implants either don’t heal or there is delayed healing. The rates are higher for smokers, older people and patients with diseases such diabetes or kidney disease.

Human trials are planned next year once the safety and effectiveness of the technique using human cells in mice has been demonstrated.

* The technique involves extracting adult human fat cells and treating them with the compound 5-Azacytidine (AZA), along with platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB) for about two days. The cells are then treated with the growth factor alone for a further two-three weeks.

AZA is known to induce cell plasticity, which is crucial for reprogramming cells. The AZA compound relaxes the hard-wiring of the cell, which is expanded by the growth factor, transforming the bone and fat cells into iMS cells. When the stem cells are inserted into the damaged tissue site, they multiply, promoting growth and healing.

The new technique is similar to salamander limb regeneration, which is also dependent on the plasticity of differentiated cells, which can repair multiple tissue types, depending on which body part needs replacing.

Along with confirming that human adult fat cells reprogrammed into iMS stem cells can safely repair damaged tissue in mice, the researchers said further work is required to establish whether iMS cells remain dormant at the sites of transplantation and retain their capacity to proliferate on demand.

https://youtu.be/zAMCBNujzzw

Abstract of PDGF-AB and 5-Azacytidine induce conversion of somatic cells into tissue-regenerative multipotent stem cells

Current approaches in tissue engineering are geared toward generating tissue-specific stem cells. Given the complexity and heterogeneity of tissues, this approach has its limitations. An alternate approach is to induce terminally differentiated cells to dedifferentiate into multipotent proliferative cells with the capacity to regenerate all components of a damaged tissue, a phenomenon used by salamanders to regenerate limbs. 5-Azacytidine (AZA) is a nucleoside analog that is used to treat preleukemic and leukemic blood disorders. AZA is also known to induce cell plasticity. We hypothesized that AZA-induced cell plasticity occurs via a transient multipotent cell state and that concomitant exposure to a receptive growth factor might result in the expansion of a plastic and proliferative population of cells. To this end, we treated lineage-committed cells with AZA and screened a number of different growth factors with known activity in mesenchyme-derived tissues. Here, we report that transient treatment with AZA in combination with platelet-derived growth factor–AB converts primary somatic cells into tissue-regenerative multipotent stem (iMS) cells. iMS cells possess a distinct transcriptome, are immunosuppressive, and demonstrate long-term self-renewal, serial clonogenicity, and multigerm layer differentiation potential. Importantly, unlike mesenchymal stem cells, iMS cells contribute directly to in vivo tissue regeneration in a context-dependent manner and, unlike embryonic or pluripotent stem cells, do not form teratomas. Taken together, this vector-free method of generating iMS cells from primary terminally differentiated cells has significant scope for application in tissue regeneration.

 

First transistors made entirely of nanocrystal ‘inks’ in simplified process

Transistors and other electronic components to be built into flexible or wearable applications; 3D printing planned
http://www.kurzweilai.net/first-transistors-made-entirely-of-nanocrystal-inks
Because this process works at relatively low temperatures, many transistors can be made on a flexible backing at once. (credit: University of Pennsylvania)

University of Pennsylvania engineers have developed a simplified new approach for making transistors by sequentially depositing their components in the form of liquid nanocrystal “inks.” The new process open the door for transistors and other electronic components to be built into flexible or wearable applications. It also avoids the highly complex current process for creating transistors, which requires high-temperature, high-vacuum equipment. Also, the new lower-temperature process is compatible with a wide array of materials and can be applied to larger areas.

Transistors patterned on plastic backing

The researchers’ nanocrystal-based field effect transistors were patterned onto flexible plastic backings using spin coating, but could eventually be constructed by additive manufacturing systems, like 3D printers.

Published in the journal Science,  the study was lead by Cherie Kagan, the Stephen J. Angello Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Ji-Hyuk Choi, then a member of her lab, now a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources. Researchers at Korea University Korea’s Yonsei University were also involved.

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Kagan’s group developed four nanocrystal inks that comprise the transistor, then deposited them on a flexible backing. (credit: University of Pennsylvania)

The researchers began by dispersing a specific type of nanocrystals in a liquid, creating nanocrystal inks. They developed a library of four of these inks: a conductor (silver), an insulator (aluminum oxide), a semiconductor (cadmium selenide), and a conductor combined with a dopant (a mixture of silver and indium). (“Doping” the semiconductor layer of a transistor with impurities controls whether the device creates a positive or negative charge.)

“These materials are colloids just like the ink in your inkjet printer,” Kagan said, “but you can get all the characteristics that you want and expect from the analogous bulk materials, such as whether they’re conductors, semiconductors or insulators.” Although the electrical properties of several of these nanocrystal inks had been independently verified, they had never been combined into full devices. “Our question was whether you could lay them down on a surface in such a way that they work together to form functional transistors.”

Laying down patterns in layers

Such a process entails layering or mixing them in precise patterns.

First, the conductive silver nanocrystal ink was deposited from liquid on a flexible plastic surface that was treated with a photolithographic mask, then rapidly spun to draw it out in an even layer. The mask was then removed to leave the silver ink in the shape of the transistor’s gate electrode.

The researchers followed that layer by spin-coating a layer of the aluminum oxide nanocrystal-based insulator, then a layer of the cadmium selenide nanocrystal-based semiconductor and finally another masked layer for the indium/silver mixture, which forms the transistor’s source and drain electrodes. Upon heating at relatively low temperatures, the indium dopant diffused from those electrodes into the semiconductor component.

“The trick with working with solution-based materials is making sure that, when you add the second layer, it doesn’t wash off the first, and so on,” Kagan said. “We had to treat the surfaces of the nanocrystals, both when they’re first in solution and after they’re deposited, to make sure they have the right electrical properties and that they stick together in the configuration we want.”

Because this entirely ink-based fabrication process works at lower temperatures than existing vacuum-based methods, the researchers were able to make several transistors on the same flexible plastic backing at the same time.

[+]

The inks’ specialized surface chemistry allowed them to stay in configuration without losing their electrical properties. (credit: University of Pennsylvania)

“Making transistors over larger areas and at lower temperatures have been goals for an emerging class of technologies, when people think of the Internet of things, large area flexible electronics and wearable devices,” Kagan said. “We haven’t developed all of the necessary aspects so they could be printed yet, but because these materials are all solution-based, it demonstrates the promise of this materials class and sets the stage for additive manufacturing.”

Because this entirely ink-based fabrication process works at lower temperatures than existing vacuum-based methods, the researchers were able to make several transistors on the same flexible plastic backing at the same time.

3D-printing transistors for wearables

“This is the first work,” Choi said, “showing that all the components, the metallic, insulating, and semiconducting layers of the transistors, and even the doping of the semiconductor, could be made from nanocrystals.”

“Making transistors over larger areas and at lower temperatures have been goals for an emerging class of technologies, when people think of the Internet of things, large area flexible electronics and wearable devices,” Kagan said. “We haven’t developed all of the necessary aspects so they could be printed yet, but because these materials are all solution-based, it demonstrates the promise of this materials class and sets the stage for additive manufacturing.”

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research, and the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning of Korea.


Abstract of Exploiting the colloidal nanocrystal library to construct electronic devices

Synthetic methods produce libraries of colloidal nanocrystals with tunable physical properties by tailoring the nanocrystal size, shape, and composition. Here, we exploit colloidal nanocrystal diversity and design the materials, interfaces, and processes to construct all-nanocrystal electronic devices using solution-based processes. Metallic silver and semiconducting cadmium selenide nanocrystals are deposited to form high-conductivity and high-mobility thin-film electrodes and channel layers of field-effect transistors. Insulating aluminum oxide nanocrystals are assembled layer by layer with polyelectrolytes to form high–dielectric constant gate insulator layers for low-voltage device operation. Metallic indium nanocrystals are codispersed with silver nanocrystals to integrate an indium supply in the deposited electrodes that serves to passivate and dope the cadmium selenide nanocrystal channel layer. We fabricate all-nanocrystal field-effect transistors on flexible plastics with electron mobilities of 21.7 square centimeters per volt-second.

Best textile manufacturing methods for creating human tissues with stem cells
Bioengineers determine three best processes for engineering tissues needed for organ and tissue repair
http://www.kurzweilai.net/best-textile-manufacturing-methods-for-creating-human-tissues-with-stem-cells
All four textile manufacturing processes and corresponding scaffold (structure) types studied exhibited the presence of lipid vacuoles (small red spheres, right column, indicating stem cells undergoing random differentiation), compared to control (left). Electrospun scaffolds (row a) exhibited only a monolayer of lipid vacuoles in a single focal plane, while meltblown, spunbond, and carded scaffolds (rows b, c, d) exhibited vacuoles in multiple planes throughout the fabric thickness. Scale bars: 100 μm (credit: S. A. Tuin et al./Biomedical Materials)

Elizabeth Loboa, dean of the Missouri University College of Engineering, and her team have tested new tissue- engineering methods (based on textile manufacturing) to find ones that are most cost-effective and can be produced in larger quantities.

Tissue engineering is a process that uses novel biomaterials seeded with stem cells to grow and replace missing tissues. When certain types of materials are used, the “scaffolds” that are created to hold stem cells eventually degrade, leaving natural tissue in its place. The new tissues could help patients suffering from wounds caused by diabetes and circulation disorders, patients in need of cartilage or bone repair, and women who have had mastectomies by replacing their breast tissue. The challenge is creating enough of the material on a scale that clinicians need to treat patients.

Comparing textile manufacturing techniques

http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/electrospinning.png

Electrospinning experiment: nanofibers are collected into an ethanol bath and removed at predefined time intervals (credit: J. M. Coburn et al./The Johns Hopkins University/PNAS)

In typical tissue engineering approaches that use fibers as scaffolds, non-woven materials are often bonded together using an electrostatic field. This process, called electrospinning (see Nanoscale scaffolds and stem cells show promise in cartilage repair and Improved artificial blood vessels), creates the scaffolds needed to attach to stem cells.

However, large-scale production with electrospinning is not cost-effective. “Electrospinning produces weak fibers, scaffolds that are not consistent, and pores that are too small,” Loboa said. “The goal of ‘scaling up’ is to produce hundreds of meters of material that look the same, have the same properties, and can be used in clinical settings. So we investigated the processes that create textiles, such as clothing and window furnishings like drapery, to scale up the manufacturing process.”

The group published two papers using three industry-standard, high-throughput manufacturing techniques — meltblowing, spunbonding, and carding — to determine if they would create the materials needed to mimic native tissue.

Meltblowing is a technique during which nonwoven materials are created using a molten polymer to create continuous fibers. Spunbond materials are made much the same way but the fibers are drawn into a web while in a solid state instead of a molten one. Carding involves the separation of fibers through the use of rollers, forming the web needed to hold stem cells in place.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/carded-scaffold-fabrication.jpg

Schematic of gilled fiber multifilament spinning and carded scaffold fabrication (credit: Stephen A. Tuin et al./Acta Biomaterialia)

Cost-effective methods

Loboa and her colleagues tested these techniques to create polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds (a Food and Drug Administration-approved material used as collagen fillers), seeded with human stem cells. They then spent three weeks studying whether the stem cells remained healthy and if they began to differentiate into fat and bone pathways, which is the goal of using stem cells in a clinical setting when new bone and/or new fat tissue is needed at a defect site. Results showed that the three textile manufacturing methods proved as viable if not more so than electrospinning.

“These alternative methods are more cost-effective than electrospinning,” Loboa said. “A small sample of electrospun material could cost between $2 to $5. The cost for the three manufacturing methods is between $.30 to $3.00; these methods proved to be effective and efficient. Next steps include testing how the different scaffolds created in the three methods perform once implanted in animals.”

Researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were also involved in the two studies, which were published in Biomedical Materials (open access) and Acta Biomaterialia. The National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Nonwovens Institute provided funding for the studies.


Abstract of Creating tissues from textiles: scalable nonwoven manufacturing techniques for fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds

Electrospun nonwovens have been used extensively for tissue engineering applications due to their inherent similarities with respect to fibre size and morphology to that of native extracellular matrix (ECM). However, fabrication of large scaffold constructs is time consuming, may require harsh organic solvents, and often results in mechanical properties inferior to the tissue being treated. In order to translate nonwoven based tissue engineering scaffold strategies to clinical use, a high throughput, repeatable, scalable, and economic manufacturing process is needed. We suggest that nonwoven industry standard high throughput manufacturing techniques (meltblowing, spunbond, and carding) can meet this need. In this study, meltblown, spunbond and carded poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nonwovens were evaluated as tissue engineering scaffolds using human adipose derived stem cells (hASC) and compared to electrospun nonwovens. Scaffolds were seeded with hASC and viability, proliferation, and differentiation were evaluated over the course of 3 weeks. We found that nonwovens manufactured via these industry standard, commercially relevant manufacturing techniques were capable of supporting hASC attachment, proliferation, and both adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of hASC, making them promising candidates for commercialization and translation of nonwoven scaffold based tissue engineering strategies.


Abstract of Fabrication of novel high surface area mushroom gilled fibers and their effects on human adipose derived stem cells under pulsatile fluid flow for tissue engineering applications

The fabrication and characterization of novel high surface area hollow gilled fiber tissue engineering scaffolds via industrially relevant, scalable, repeatable, high speed, and economical nonwoven carding technology is described. Scaffolds were validated as tissue engineering scaffolds using human adipose derived stem cells (hASC) exposed to pulsatile fluid flow (PFF). The effects of fiber morphology on the proliferation and viability of hASC, as well as effects of varied magnitudes of shear stress applied via PFF on the expression of the early osteogenic gene marker runt related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) were evaluated. Gilled fiber scaffolds led to a significant increase in proliferation of hASC after seven days in static culture, and exhibited fewer dead cells compared to pure PLA round fiber controls. Further, hASC-seeded scaffolds exposed to 3 and 6 dyn/cm2 resulted in significantly increased mRNA expression of RUNX2 after one hour of PFF in the absence of soluble osteogenic induction factors. This is the first study to describe a method for the fabrication of high surface area gilled fibers and scaffolds. The scalable manufacturing process and potential fabrication across multiple nonwoven and woven platforms makes them promising candidates for a variety of applications that require high surface area fibrous materials.

Statement of Significance

We report here for the first time the successful fabrication of novel high surface area gilled fiber scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Gilled fibers led to a significant increase in proliferation of human adipose derived stem cells after one week in culture, and a greater number of viable cells compared to round fiber controls. Further, in the absence of osteogenic induction factors, gilled fibers led to significantly increased mRNA expression of an early marker for osteogenesis after exposure to pulsatile fluid flow. This is the first study to describe gilled fiber fabrication and their potential for tissue engineering applications. The repeatable, industrially scalable, and versatile fabrication process makes them promising candidates for a variety of scaffold-based tissue engineering applications.

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A step forward in diagnostics

Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP, Curator

LPBI

 

3D Imaging of Cancer Cells Could Lead to Improved Ability of Pathologists and Radiologists to Plan Cancer Treatments and Monitor Cell Interactions

DARK DAILY   4/8/2016   info@DarkDaily.com  http://www.darkdaily.com/#axzz45En6Xbfr

 

Imaging research is one step closer to giving clinicians a way to do high-resolution scans of malignant cells in order to diagnose cancer and help identify useful therapies. If this technology were to prove successful in clinical studies, it might change how anatomic pathologists and radiologists diagnose and treat cancer.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center developed a way to create near-isotropic, high-resolution scans of cells within their microenvironments. The process involves utilizing a combination of two-photonBessel beams and specialized filtering.

New Imaging Approach Could be Useful to Both Pathologists and Radiologists

In a recent press release, senior author Reto Fiolka, PhD, said “there is clear evidence that the environment strongly affects cellular behavior—thus, the value of cell culture experiments on glass must at least be questioned. Our microscope is one tool that may bring us a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer cell behavior, since it enables high-resolution imaging in more realistic tumor.”

In a study in Developmental Cell, Erik S. Welf, PhD, et al, described the new microenvironmental selective plane illumination microscopy (meSPIM). When developing the technology, the team outlined three goals:

1. The microscope design must not prohibitively constrain microenvironmental properties.

2. Spatial and temporal resolution must match the cellular features of interest.

3. Spatial resolution must be isotropic to avoid spatial bias in quantitative measurements.

This new technology offers pathologists and medical laboratory scientists a new look at cancer cells and other diseases. The study notes that meSPIM eliminates the influence of stiff barriers, such as glass slide covers, while also allowing a level of control over both mechanical and chemical influences that was previously impossible.

Early meSPIM Research Reveals New Cell Behaviors

Early use of meSPIM in observing melanoma cells is already offering new insights into the relationship between the cell behavior of cellular- and subcellular-scale mechanisms and the microenvironment in which these cells exist. The study notes, “The ability to image fine cellular details in controllable microenvironments revealedmorphodynamic features not commonly observed in the narrow range of mechanical environments usually studied in vitro.”

One such difference is the appearance of blebbing. Created by melanoma cells and lines, these small protrusions are thought to aid in cell mobility and survival. Using meSPIM, observers could follow the blebbing process in real-time. Formation of blebs on slides and within an extracellular matrix (ECM) showed significant differences in both formation and manipulation of the surrounding microenvironment.

The team is also using meSPIM to take a look at membrane-associated biosensorand cytosolic biosensor signals in 3D. They hope that investigation of proteins such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase C will help to further clarify the roles these signals play in reorientation of fibroblasts.

 

meSPIM-500ppi

meSPIM combined with computer vision enables imaging, visualization, and quantification of how cells alter collagen fibers over large distances within an image volume measuring 100 mm on each side. (Photo Copyright: Welf and Driscoll et al.)   http://www.darkdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/meSPIM-500ppi-220×300.jpg

 

Seeing cancer cells in 3-D (w/ Video)

February 22, 2016

Cancer in 3-D

Extracted surfaces of two cancer cells. (Left) A lung cancer cell colored by actin intensity near the cell surface. Actin is a structural molecule that is integral to cell movement. (Right) A melanoma cell colored by PI3-kinase activity near the cell surface. PI3K is a signaling molecule that is key to many cell processes. Credit: Welf and Driscoll et al.  http://cdn.phys.org/newman/csz/news/800/2016/cancerin3d.png

Cancer cells don’t live on glass slides, yet the vast majority of images related to cancer biology come from the cells being photographed on flat, two-dimensional surfaces—images that are sometimes used to make conclusions about the behaviour of cells that normally reside in a more complex environment. But a new high-resolution microscope, presented February 22 in Developmental Cell, now makes it possible to visualize cancer cells in 3D and record how they are signaling to other parts of their environment, revealing previously unappreciated biology of how cancer cells survive and disperse within living things.

“There is clear evidence that the environment strongly affects cellular behavior—thus, the value of cell culture experiments on glass must at least be questioned,” says senior author Reto Fiolka, an optical scientist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “Our is one tool that may bring us a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer cell behavior, since it enables high-resolution imaging in more realistic tumor environments.”

In their study, Fiolka and colleagues, including co-senior author Gaudenz Danuser, and co-first authors Meghan Driscoll and Erik Welf, also of UT Southwestern, used their microscope to image different kinds of skin cancer cells from patients. They found that in a 3D environment (where cells normally reside), unlike a glass slide, multiple melanoma cell lines and primary melanoma cells (from patients with varied genetic mutations) form many small protrusions called blebs. One hypothesis is that this blebbing may help the survive or move around and could thus play a role in skin cancer cell invasiveness or drug resistance in patients.

The researchers say that this is a first step toward understanding 3D biology in tumor microenvironments. And since these kinds of images may be too complicated to interpret by the naked eye alone, the next step will be to develop powerful computer platforms to extract and process the information.

“When we conceived of this project, we first asked what we wanted to measure and then designed a microscope and analytical platform to achieve this goal,” says co-first author Erik Welf, a cell biologist. “We hope that now instead of asking what we can measure, scientists will ask what we must measure in order to make meaningful contributions to cancer cell biology.”

The microscope control software and image analytical code are freely available to the scientific community.

More information: Developmental Cell, Welf and Driscoll et al.: “Quantitative Multiscale Cell Imaging in Controlled 3D Microenvironments” dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2016.01.022

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-02-cancer-cells-d-video.html#jCp

Quantitative Multiscale Cell Imaging in Controlled 3D Microenvironments

Erik S. Welf4, Meghan K. Driscoll4, Kevin M. Dean, Claudia Schäfer, Jun Chu, Michael W. Davidson, Michael Z. Lin, Gaudenz Danusercorrespondence , Reto Fiolkacorrespondence
Dev Cell  22 Feb 2016;  Volume 36, Issue 4:462–475     DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2016.01.022
Highlights
  • meSPIM allows microenvironmentally conscious 3D imaging/analysis of subcellular biology
  • Precisely controlled microenvironments reveal diverse morphological phenotypes
  • Isotropic resolution and high speed enable the quantification of 3D cell signaling and morphodynamics
  • Multiscale quantification of microenvironmental reorganization by cells

Summary

The microenvironment determines cell behavior, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood because quantitative studies of cell signaling and behavior have been challenging due to insufficient spatial and/or temporal resolution and limitations on microenvironmental control. Here we introduce microenvironmental selective plane illumination microscopy (meSPIM) for imaging and quantification of intracellular signaling and submicrometer cellular structures as well as large-scale cell morphological and environmental features. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by showing that the mechanical properties of the microenvironment regulate the transition of melanoma cells from actin-driven protrusion to blebbing, and we present tools to quantify how cells manipulate individual collagen fibers. We leverage the nearly isotropic resolution of meSPIM to quantify the local concentration of actin and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling on the surfaces of cells deep within 3D collagen matrices and track the many small membrane protrusions that appear in these more physiologically relevant environments.

Read more: 3D Imaging of Cancer Cells Could Lead to Improved Ability of Pathologists and Radiologists to Plan Cancer Treatments and Monitor Cell Interactions | Dark Daily http://www.darkdaily.com/3d-imaging-of-cancer-cells-could-lead-to-improved-ability-of-pathologists-and-radiologists-to-plan-cancer-treatments-and-monitor-cell-interactions-301#ixzz45Enp2yT0

The research team believes this opens new possibilities for studying diseases at a subcellular level, saying, “Cell biology is necessarily restricted to studying what we can measure. Accordingly, while the last hundred years have yielded incredible insight into cellular processes, unfortunately most of these studies have involved cells plated onto flat, stiff surfaces that are drastically different from the in vivo microenvironment …

“Here, we introduce an imaging platform that enables detailed subcellular observations without compromising microenvironmental control and thus should open a window for addressing these fundamental questions of cell biology.”

Limitations of meSPIM

One significant issue associated with the use of meSPIM is the need to process the large quantity of data into useful information. Algorithms currently allow for automatic bleb detection. However, manual marking, while time consuming, still provides increased accuracy. Researchers believe the next step in improving the quality of meSPIM scans lie in computer platforms designed to extract and process the scan data.

Until this process is automated, user bias, sample mounting, and data handling will remain risks for introducing errors into the collected data. Yet, even in its early stages, meSPIM offers new options for assessing the state of cancer cells and may eventually provide pathologists and radiologists with additional information when creating treatment plans or assessments.

 

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GE’s $40 Million Center for Additive Technology Advancement (CATA)

Reporter: Danut Dragoi, PhD

 

UPDATED on 9/6/2016

G.E. Offers $1.4 Billion for 3-D Printing Technology Companies

By CHAD BRAY SEPT. 6, 2016

In GE 3-D printing technology is used to create gas turbine parts and other applications in HealthCare and in Aerospace.

G.E. said it had invested about $1.5 billion in manufacturing and 3-D printing technology since 2010, and added that it expected its new additive manufacturing business to achieve $1 billion in revenue by 2020.

“Additive manufacturing is a key part of G.E.’s evolution into a digital industrial company,” Jeffrey R. Immelt, the G.E. chairman and chief executive, said in a news release.

Arcam, based in Molndal, Sweden, is a provider of metal-based 3-D printing technology, primarily for the aerospace and health care industries. It had $68 million in revenue in 2015 and about 285 employees.

SLM Solutions, based in Lübeck, Germany, which went public two years ago, said in a news release that G.E. had offered to pay 38 euros, about $42.40, a share for the company, a 36.7 percent premium to its closing price on Monday.

If the acquisitions are completed, the companies would report to David L. Joyce, president and chief executive of GE Aviation

SOURCE

GE’s $40 Million Center for Additive Technology Advancement (CATA)

Reporter: Danut Dragoi, PhD

While many are aware of the big names in 3D printing, it still often comes as a surprise to some to find out that General Electric has had their hands in the technology for a long time, and they just keep getting more and more invested. So, if you are wondering about the future of 3D printing or whether or not it’s really catching on, just the fact that GE is opening another multi-million-dollar facility should be a pretty big hint—as well as the fact that they want all of their related businesses getting in on the technology.

It’s also very exciting for us to see what GE is working on further, especially regarding their new Center for Additive Technology Advancement (CATA) in Pittsburgh, which celebrated their grand opening on Tuesday. The city of Pittsburgh is probably most pumped, however, looking forward not just to the activity that the facility will bring, but probably most likely quite happy to have GE declare them as the next industry leader for 3D printing in terms of geography; in fact, the reason GE set up their new $39 million General Electric plant off of a highway exit very near the airport was because of the proximity to Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University—all of whom are very involved in 3D printing—and whose outstanding projects we continue to follow as well. We’ve also followed activity on the part of GE over the years as they have poured millions into 3D printing expansion, and moved into countries like India with multiple facilities.

Now, in the traditional manufacturing setting of Pittsburgh, General Electric is employing numbers of laser 3D printers in the manufacturing of everything from jet engine blades to oil valves. Picture below shows a jet engine blades model that GE engineers produced using an advanced 3-D printing technique called direct metal laser melting. This additive manufacturing method is producing a growing list of parts for numerous industries, making stronger components with less material waste that are impossible to create using traditional techniques.

GE Turbo engine 3DP

Image SOURCE: http://www.ge.com/stories/advanced-manufacturing

CATA is funded by each of the GE businesses, with the goal of integrating 3D printing for all. GE has historically been very involved with 3D printing to create fuel nozzles for jet engines, see picture below.

GE fuel nozle 3DP

Image SOURCE: https://3dprint.com/128490/pittsburgh-ge-cata/

All eight of the company’s manufacturing divisions will use the 125,000-square-foot facility to test new designs and ideas, with 50 high-tech engineers employed there. While currently the CATA facility has just several 3D metal printing machines, they are also, according to GE Reports, going to add an additional $10 million in machines this year, with a $2 million DMLM printer that has four lasers and can print four different components simultaneously.

The CATA facility also holds a sand binder jetting machine, excellent for rapid prototyping. Rather than employing a laser, it uses a chemical binder to use sand as the material for casting molds. Picture below shows a Jell-O mold for the jelly which is a work in progress prototyping for sand binder jetting machine.

Sand binding for molding GE for 3DP

Image SOURCE: https://3dprint.com/128490/pittsburgh-ge-cata/

With their Poly-jet printers, GE engineers are able to combine polymers and make parts with different qualities and colors. The goal is to push the limits of additive manufacturing and stay at the forefront of innovation within the industry. The CATA industrialization lab is meant to promote this mission, allowing GE businesses to bring in their 3D printing concepts and optimize them, as well as working to bring them to fruition. It sounds like they might just be having a little bit of fun in the process too.

Source

Pittsburgh: GE Celebrates Grand Opening of $40 Million Center for Additive Technology Advancement (CATA)

http://www.ge.com/stories/advanced-manufacturing

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Update on FDA Policy Regarding 3D Bioprinted Material

Curator: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D.

Last year (2015) in late October the FDA met to finalize a year long process of drafting guidances for bioprinting human tissue and/or medical devices such as orthopedic devices.  This importance of the development of these draft guidances was highlighted in a series of articles below, namely that

  • there were no standards as a manufacturing process
  • use of human tissues and materials could have certain unforseen adverse events associated with the bioprinting process

In the last section of this post a recent presentation by the FDA is given as well as an excellent  pdf here BioprintingGwinnfinal written by a student at University of Kentucky James Gwinn on regulatory concerns of bioprinting.

Bio-Printing Could Be Banned Or Regulated In Two Years

3D Printing News January 30, 2014 No Comments 3dprinterplans

organovaliver

 

 

 

 

 

Cross-section of multi-cellular bioprinted human liver tissue Credit: organovo.com

Bio-printing has been touted as the pinnacle of additive manufacturing and medical science, but what if it might be shut down before it splashes onto the medical scene. Research firm, Gartner Inc believes that the rapid development of bio-printing will spark calls to ban the technology for human and non-human tissue within two years.

A report released by Gartner predicts that the time is drawing near when 3D-bioprinted human organs will be readily available, causing widespread debate. They use an example of 3D printed liver tissue by a San Diego-based company named Organovo.

“At one university, they’re actually using cells from human and non-human organs,” said Pete Basiliere, a Gartner Research Director. “In this example, there was human amniotic fluid, canine smooth muscle cells, and bovine cells all being used. Some may feel those constructs are of concern.”

Bio-printing 

Bio-printing uses extruder needles or inkjet-like printers to lay down rows of living cells. Major challenges still face the technology, such as creating vascular structures to support tissue with oxygen and nutrients. Additionally, creating the connective tissue or scaffolding-like structures to support functional tissue is still a barrier that bio-printing will have to overcome.

Organovo has worked around a number of issues and they hope to print a fully functioning liver for pharmaceutical industry by the end of this year.  “We have achieved thicknesses of greater than 500 microns, and have maintained liver tissue in a fully functional state with native phenotypic behavior for at least 40 days,” said Mike Renard, Organovo’s executive vice president of commercial operations.

clinical trails and testing of organs could take over a decade in the U.S. This is because of the strict rules the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) places on any new technology. Bio-printing research could outplace regulatory agencies ability to keep up.

“What’s going to happen, in some respects, is the research going on worldwide is outpacing regulatory agencies ability to keep up,” Basiliere said. “3D bio-printing facilities with the ability to print human organs and tissue will advance far faster than general understanding and acceptance of the ramifications of this technology.”

Other companies have been successful with bio-printing as well. Munich-based EnvisionTEC is already selling a printer called a Bioplotter that sells for $188,000 and can print 3D pieces of human tissue. China’s Hangzhou Dianzi University has developed a printer called Regenovo, which printed a small working kidney that lasted four months.

“These initiatives are well-intentioned, but raise a number of questions that remain unanswered. What happens when complex enhanced organs involving nonhuman cells are made? Who will control the ability to produce them? Who will ensure the quality of the resulting organs?” Basiliere said.

Gartner believes demand for bio-printing will explode in 2015, due to a burgeoning population and insufficient levels of healthcare in emerging markets. “The overall success rates of 3D printing use cases in emerging regions will escalate for three main reasons: the increasing ease of access and commoditization of the technology; ROI; and because it simplifies supply chain issues with getting medical devices to these regions,” Basiliere said. “Other primary drivers are a large population base with inadequate access to healthcare in regions often marred by internal conflicts, wars or terrorism.”

It’s interesting to hear Gartner’s bold predictions for bio-printing. Some of the experts we have talked to seem to think bio-printing is further off than many expect, possibly even 20 or 30 years away for fully functioning organs used in transplants on humans. However, less complicated bio-printing procedures and tissue is only a few years away.

 

FDA examining regulations for 3‑D printed medical devices

Renee Eaton Monday, October 27, 2014

fdalogo

The official purpose of a recent FDA-sponsored workshop was “to provide a forum for FDA, medical device manufacturers, additive manufacturing companies and academia to discuss technical challenges and solutions of 3-D printing.” The FDA wants “input to help it determine technical assessments that should be considered for additively manufactured devices to provide a transparent evaluation process for future submissions.”

Simply put, the FDA is trying to stay current with advanced manufacturing technologies that are revolutionizing patient care and, in some cases, democratizing its availability. When a next-door neighbor can print a medical device in his or her basement, it clearly has many positive and negative implications that need to be considered.

Ignoring the regulatory implications for a moment, the presentations at the workshop were fascinating.

STERIS representative Dr. Bill Brodbeck cautioned that the complex designs and materials now being created with additive manufacturing make sterilization practices challenging. For example, how will the manufacturer know if the implant is sterile or if the agent has been adequately removed? Also, some materials and designs cannot tolerate acids, heat or pressure, making sterilization more difficult.

Dr. Thomas Boland from the University of Texas at El Paso shared his team’s work on 3-D-printed tissues. Using inkjet technology, the researchers are evaluating the variables involved in successfully printing skin. Another bio-printing project being undertaken at Wake Forest by Dr. James Yoo involves constructing bladder-shaped prints using bladder cell biopsies and scaffolding.

Dr. Peter Liacouras at Walter Reed discussed his institution’s practice of using 3-D printing to create surgical guides and custom implants. In another biomedical project, work done at Children’s National Hospital by Drs. Axel Krieger and Laura Olivieri involves the physicians using printed cardiac models to “inform clinical decisions,” i.e. evaluate conditions, plan surgeries and reduce operating time.

As interesting as the presentations were, the subsequent discussions were arguably more important. In an attempt to identify and address all significant impacts of additive manufacturing on medical device production, the subject was organized into preprinting (input), printing (process) and post-printing (output) considerations. Panelists and other stakeholders shared their concerns and viewpoints on each topic in an attempt to inform and persuade FDA decision-makers.

An interesting (but expected) outcome was the relative positions of the various stakeholders. Well-established and large manufacturers proposed validation procedures: material testing, process operating guidelines, quality control, traceability programs, etc. Independent makers argued that this approach would impede, if not eliminate, their ability to provide low-cost prosthetic devices.

Comparing practices to the highly regulated food industry, one can understand and accept the need to adopt similar measures for some additively manufactured medical devices. An implant is going into someone’s body, so the manufacturer needs to evaluate and assure the quality of raw materials, processing procedures and finished product.

But, as in the food industry, this means the producer needs to know the composition of materials. Suppliers cannot hide behind proprietary formulations. If manufacturers are expected to certify that a device is safe, they need to know what ingredients are in the materials they are using.

Many in the industry are also lobbying the FDA to agree that manufacturers should be expected to certify the components and not the additive manufacturing process itself. They argue that what matters is whether the device is safe, not what process was used to make it.

Another distinction should be the product’s risk level. Devices should continue to be classified as I, II or III and that classification, not the process used, should determine its level of regulation.

 

 

Will the FDA Regulate Bioprinting?

Published by Sandra Helsel, May 21, 2014 10:20 am

(3DPrintingChannel) The FDA currently assesses 3D printed medical devices and conventionally made products under the same guidelines, despite the different manufacturing methods involved. To receive device approval, manufacturers must prove that the device is equivalent to a product already on the market for the same use, or the device must undergo the process of attaining pre-market approval. However, the approval process for 3D printed devices could become complicated because the devices are manufactured differently and can be customizable. Two teams at the agency are now trying to determine how approval process should be tweaked to account for the changes.

3D Printing and 3D Bioprinting – Will the FDA Regulate Bioprinting?

This entry was posted by Bill Decker on May 20, 2014 at 8:52 am

3dprintedskin

 

 

 

 

 

VIEW VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KY-JZCXKXQ#action=share

 

The 3d printing revolution came to medicine and is making people happy while scaring them at the same time!

3-D printing—the process of making a solid object of any shape from a digital model—has grown increasingly common in recent years, allowing doctors to craft customized devices like hearing aids, dental implants, and surgical instruments. For example, University of Michigan researchers last year used a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint out of plastic particles. In another case, a patient had 75% of his skull replaced with a 3-D printed implant customized to fit his head. The 3d printing revolution came to medicine and is making people happy while scaring them at the same time!

Printed hearts? Doctors are getting there
FDA currently treats assesses 3-D printed medical devices and conventionally made products under the same guidelines, despite the different manufacturing methods involved. To receive device approval, manufacturers must prove that the device is equivalent to a product already on the market for the same use, or the device must undergo the process of attaining pre-market approval.

“We evaluate all devices, including any that utilize 3-D printing technology, for safety and effectiveness, and appropriate benefit and risk determination, regardless of the manufacturing technologies used,” FDA spokesperson Susan Laine said.
However, the approval process for 3-D printed devices could become complicated because the devices are manufactured differently and can be customizable. Two teams at the agency now are trying to determine how approval process should be tweaked to account for the changes:

http://product-liability.weil.com/news/the-stuff-of-innovation-3d-bioprinting-and-fdas-possible-reorganization/

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The Stuff of Innovation – 3D Bioprinting and FDA’s Possible Reorganization

Weil Product Liability Monitor on September 10, 2013 ·

Posted in News

Contributing Author: Meghan A. McCaffrey

With 3D printers, what used to exist only in the realm of science fiction — who doesn’t remember the Star Trek food replicator that could materialize a drink or meal with the mere press of a button — is now becoming more widely available with  food on demand, prosthetic devices, tracheal splintsskull implants, and even liver tissue all having recently been printed, used, implanted or consumed.  3D printing, while exciting, also presents a unique hybrid of technology and biology, making it a potentially unique and difficult area to regulate and oversee.  With all of the recent technological advances surround 3D printer technology, the FDA recently announced in a blog post that it too was going 3D, using it to “expand our research efforts and expand our capabilities to review innovative medical products.”  In addition, the agency will be investigating how 3D printing technology impacts medical devices and manufacturing processes.  This will, in turn, raise the additional question of how such technology — one of the goals of which, at least in the medical world,  is to create unique and custom printed devices, tissue and other living organs for use in medical procedures — can be properly evaluated, regulated and monitored.
In medicine, 3D printing is known as “bioprinting,” where so-called bioprinters print cells in liquid or gel format in an attempt to engineer cartilage, bone, skin, blood vessels, and even small pieces of liver and other human tissues [see a recent New York Times article here].  Not to overstate the obvious, but this is truly cutting edge science that could have significant health and safety ramifications for end users.  And more importantly for regulatory purposes, such bioprinting does not fit within the traditional category of a “device” or a “biologic.”  As was noted in Forbes, “more of the products that FDA is tasked with regulating don’t fit into the traditional categories in which FDA has historically divided its work.  Many new medical products transcend boundaries between drugs, devices, and biologics…In such a world, the boundaries between FDA’s different centers may no longer make as much sense.”  To that end, Forbes reported that FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg announced Friday the formation of a “Program Alignment Group” at the FDA whose goal is to identify and develop plans “to best adapt to the ongoing rapid changes in the regulatory environment, driven by scientific innovation, globalization, the increasing complexity of regulated products, new legal authorities and additional user fee programs.”

It will be interesting to see if the FDA can retool the agency to make it a more flexible, responsive, and function-specific organization.  In the short term, the FDA has tasked two laboratories in the Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories with investigating how the new 3D technology can impact the safety and efficacy of devices and materials manufactured using the technology.  The Functional Performance and Device Use Laboratory is evaluating “the effect of design changes on the safety and performance of devices when used in different patient populations” while the Laboratory for Solid Mechanics is assessing “how different printing techniques and processes affect the strength and durability of the materials used in medical devices.”  Presumably, all of this information will help the FDA evaluate at some point in the future whether a 3D printed heart is safe and effective for use in the patient population.

In any case, this type of hybrid technology can present a risk for companies and manufacturers creating and using such devices.  It remains to be seen what sort of regulations will be put in place to determine, for example, what types of clinical trials and information will have to be provided before a 3D printer capable of printing a human heart is approved for use by the FDA.  Or even on a different scale, what regulatory hurdles (and on-going monitoring, reporting, and studies) will be required before bioprinted cartilage can be implanted in a patient’s knee.  Are food replicators and holodecks far behind?

http://www.raps.org/regulatory-focus/news/2014/05/19000/FDA-3D-Printing-Guidance-and-Meeting/

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FDA Plans Meeting to Explore Regulation, Medical Uses of 3D Printing Technology

Posted 16 May 2014 By Alexander Gaffney, RAC

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to soon hold a meeting to discuss the future of regulating medical products made using 3D printing techniques, it has announced.

fdaplanstomeetbioprinting

Background

3D printing is a manufacturing process which layers printed materials on top of one another, creating three-dimensional parts (as opposed to injection molding or routing materials).

The manufacturing method has recently come into vogue with hobbyists, who have been driven by several factors only likely to accelerate in the near future:

  • The cost of 3D printers has come down considerably.
  • Electronic files which automate the printing process are shareable over the Internet, allowing anyone with the sufficient raw materials to build a part.
  • The technology behind 3D printing is becoming more advanced, allowing for the manufacture of increasingly durable parts.

While the technology has some alarming components—the manufacture of untraceable weapons, for example—it’s increasingly being looked at as the future source of medical product innovation, and in particular for medical devices like prosthetics.

Promise and Problems

But while 3D printing holds promise for patients, it poses immense challenges for regulators, who must assess how to—or whether to—regulate the burgeoning sector.

In a recent FDA Voice blog posting, FDA regulators noted that 3D-printed medical devices have already been used in FDA-cleared clinical interventions, and that it expects more devices to emerge in the future.

Already, FDA’s Office of Science and Engineering laboratories are working to investigate how the technology will affect the future of device manufacturing, and CDRH’s Functional Performance and Device Use Laboratory is developing and adapting computer modeling methods to help determine how small design changes could affect the safety of a device. And at the Laboratory for Solid Mechanics, FDA said it is investigating the materials used in the printing process and how those might affect durability and strength of building materials.

And as Focus noted in August 2013, there are myriad regulatory challenges to confront as well. For example: If a 3D printer makes a medical device, will that device be considered adulterated since it was not manufactured under Quality System Regulation-compliant conditions? Would each device be required to be registered with FDA? And would FDA treat shared design files as unauthorized promotion if they failed to make proper note of the device’s benefits and risks? What happens if a device was never cleared or approved by FDA?

The difficulties for FDA are seemingly endless.

Plans for a Guidance Document

But there have been indications that FDA has been thinking about this issue extensively.

In September 2013, Focus first reported that CDRH Director Jeffery Shuren was planning to release a guidance on 3D printing in “less than two years.”

Responding to Focus, Shuren said the guidance would be primarily focused on the “manufacturing side,” and probably on how 3D printing occurs and the materials used rather than some of the loftier questions posed above.

“What you’re making, and how you’re making it, may have implications for how safe and effective that device is,” he said, explaining how various methods of building materials can lead to various weaknesses or problems.

“Those are the kinds of things we’re working through. ‘What are the considerations to take into account?'”

“We’re not looking to get in the way of 3D printing,” Shuren continued, noting the parallel between 3D printing and personalized medicine. “We’d love to see that.”

Guidance Coming ‘Soon’

In recent weeks there have been indications that the guidance could soon see a public release. Plastics News reported that CDRH’s Benita Dair, deputy director of the Division of Chemistry and Materials Science, said the 3D printing guidance would be announced “soon.”

“In terms of 3-D printing, I think we will soon put out a communication to the public about FDA’s thoughts,” Dair said, according to Plastics News. “We hope to help the market bring new devices to patients and bring them to the United States first. And we hope to play an integral part in that.”

Public Meeting

But FDA has now announced that it may be awaiting public input before it puts out that guidance document. In a 16 May 2014 Federal Register announcement, the agency said it will hold a meeting in October 2014 on the “technical considerations of 3D printing.”

“The purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum for FDA, medical device manufacturers, additive manufacturing companies, and academia to discuss technical challenges and solutions of 3-D printing. The Agency would like input regarding technical assessments that should be considered for additively manufactured devices to provide a transparent evaluation process for future submissions.”

That language—”transparent evaluation process for future submissions”—indicates that at least one level, FDA plans to treat 3D printing no differently than any other medical device, subjecting the products to the same rigorous premarket assessments that many devices now undergo.

FDA’s notice seems to focus on industrial applications for the technology—not individual ones. The agency notes that it has already “begun to receive submissions using additive manufacturing for both traditional and patient-matched devices,” and says it sees “many more on the horizon.”

Among FDA’s chief concerns, it said, are process verification and validation, which are both key parts of the medical device quality manufacturing regulations.

But the notice also indicates that existing guidance documents, such as those specific to medical device types, will still be in effect regardless of the 3D printing guidance.

Discussion Points

FDA’s proposed list of discussion topics include:

  • Preprinting considerations, including but not limited to:
    • material chemistry
    • physical properties
    • recyclability
    • part reproducibility
    • process validation
  • Printing considerations, including but not limited to:
    • printing process characterization
    • software used in the process
    • post-processing steps (hot isostatic pressing, curing)
    • additional machining
  • Post-printing considerations, including but not limited to:
    • cleaning/excess material removal
    • effect of complexity on sterilization and biocompatibility
    • final device mechanics
    • design envelope
    • verification

– See more at: http://www.raps.org/regulatory-focus/news/2014/05/19000/FDA-3D-Printing-Guidance-and-Meeting/#sthash.cDg4Utln.dpuf

 

FDA examining regulations for 3‑D printed medical devices

 

Renee Eaton Monday, October 27, 2014

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The official purpose of a recent FDA-sponsored workshop was “to provide a forum for FDA, medical device manufacturers, additive manufacturing companies and academia to discuss technical challenges and solutions of 3-D printing.” The FDA wants “input to help it determine technical assessments that should be considered for additively manufactured devices to provide a transparent evaluation process for future submissions.”

Simply put, the FDA is trying to stay current with advanced manufacturing technologies that are revolutionizing patient care and, in some cases, democratizing its availability. When a next-door neighbor can print a medical device in his or her basement, it clearly has many positive and negative implications that need to be considered.

Ignoring the regulatory implications for a moment, the presentations at the workshop were fascinating.

STERIS representative Dr. Bill Brodbeck cautioned that the complex designs and materials now being created with additive manufacturing make sterilization practices challenging. For example, how will the manufacturer know if the implant is sterile or if the agent has been adequately removed? Also, some materials and designs cannot tolerate acids, heat or pressure, making sterilization more difficult.

Dr. Thomas Boland from the University of Texas at El Paso shared his team’s work on 3-D-printed tissues. Using inkjet technology, the researchers are evaluating the variables involved in successfully printing skin. Another bio-printing project being undertaken at Wake Forest by Dr. James Yoo involves constructing bladder-shaped prints using bladder cell biopsies and scaffolding.

Dr. Peter Liacouras at Walter Reed discussed his institution’s practice of using 3-D printing to create surgical guides and custom implants. In another biomedical project, work done at Children’s National Hospital by Drs. Axel Krieger and Laura Olivieri involves the physicians using printed cardiac models to “inform clinical decisions,” i.e. evaluate conditions, plan surgeries and reduce operating time.

As interesting as the presentations were, the subsequent discussions were arguably more important. In an attempt to identify and address all significant impacts of additive manufacturing on medical device production, the subject was organized into preprinting (input), printing (process) and post-printing (output) considerations. Panelists and other stakeholders shared their concerns and viewpoints on each topic in an attempt to inform and persuade FDA decision-makers.

An interesting (but expected) outcome was the relative positions of the various stakeholders. Well-established and large manufacturers proposed validation procedures: material testing, process operating guidelines, quality control, traceability programs, etc. Independent makers argued that this approach would impede, if not eliminate, their ability to provide low-cost prosthetic devices.

Comparing practices to the highly regulated food industry, one can understand and accept the need to adopt similar measures for some additively manufactured medical devices. An implant is going into someone’s body, so the manufacturer needs to evaluate and assure the quality of raw materials, processing procedures and finished product.

But, as in the food industry, this means the producer needs to know the composition of materials. Suppliers cannot hide behind proprietary formulations. If manufacturers are expected to certify that a device is safe, they need to know what ingredients are in the materials they are using.

Many in the industry are also lobbying the FDA to agree that manufacturers should be expected to certify the components and not the additive manufacturing process itself. They argue that what matters is whether the device is safe, not what process was used to make it.

Another distinction should be the product’s risk level. Devices should continue to be classified as I, II or III and that classification, not the process used, should determine its level of regulation.

If you are interested in submitting comments to the FDA on this topic, post them by Nov. 10.

FDA Guidance Summary on 3D BioPrinting

fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_1 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_2 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_3 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_4 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_5 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_6 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_7 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_8 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_9 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_10 fdaregulationguidelinesfor3dbioprinting_11

 

 

 

 

 

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Bio-inks and 3D BioPrinting

Curator: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D.

 

Bio-ink is a material made from living cells that behaves much like a liquid, allowing people to “print” it in order to create a desired shape. This material was developed by researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, with the goal of someday being able to do things like print replacements for failing organs. This technology is only in the very early stages of testing and development, but it shows promise.

To make bio-ink, scientists create a slurry of cells that can be loaded into a cartridge and inserted into a specially designed printer, along with another cartridge containing a gel known as bio-paper. After inputting the standards for the thing they want to print, the researchers trigger the printer, and the cartridges alternate layers to build a three dimensional structure, with the bio-paper creating a supportive matrix that the ink can thrive on.

Through a process that is not yet totally understood, the individual droplets fuse together, eventually latticing upwards through the bio-paper to create a solid structure. Understanding this process and the point at which cells differentiate to accomplish different tasks is an important part of creating a usable material; perhaps someday hospitals will be able to use it to generate tissue and organs for use by their patients.

 

The most obvious potential use for bio-ink is in skin grafting. With this technology, labs could quickly create sheets of skin for burn victims and other people who might be in need of grafts. By creating grafts derived from the patient’s own cells, it could reduce the risk of rejection and scarring. Bio-ink could also be used to make replacements for vascular material removed during surgeries, allowing people to receive new veins and arteries.

Eventually, entire organs could be constructed from this material. Since organs are in short supply around the world, bio-ink could potentially save untold numbers of lives, as patients would no longer have to wait on the transplant list for new organs. The use of such organs could also allay fears about contaminated organ supplies or unscrupulous organ acquisition methods.

 

RegenHu

Universal Matrix for 3D Tissue Printing

BioInkTM is a chemically-defined hydrogel to support growth of different cell types. It allows cell adhesion, mimics the natural extracellular matrix and is biodegradable.

BioInkTM is provided as a ready-to-use chemically-defined hydrogel to print 3D tissue models. Exclusively designed for regenHU’s BioFactory® and 3DDiscovery® tissue and bio-printers.

A versatile, chemically-defined hydrogel, supporting cell attachment, growth, differentiation and migration. The BioInkTM is suitable for long-term tissue cultivation (in vitro human dermis for up to 7 weeks).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A versatile bioink for three-dimensional printing of cellular scaffolds based on thermally and photo-triggered tandem gelation

  • a Cartilage Engineering + Regeneration Laboratory, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 7, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
  • b Biomaterials Department, INNOVENT e.V. Jena, Prüssingstrasse 27 B, 07745 Jena, Germany
  • c AO Research Institute Davos, Clavadelerstrasse 8, 7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland

 

Layer-by-layer bioprinting is a logical choice for the fabrication of stratified tissues like articular cartilage. Printing of viable organ replacements, however, is dependent on bioinks with appropriate rheological and cytocompatible properties. In cartilage engineering, photocrosslinkable glycosaminoglycan-based hydrogels are chondrogenic, but alone have generally poor printing properties. By blending the thermoresponsive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafted hyaluronan (HA-pNIPAAM) with methacrylated hyaluronan (HAMA), high-resolution scaffolds with good viability were printed. HA-pNIPAAM provided fast gelation and immediate post-printing structural fidelity, while HAMA ensured long-term mechanical stability upon photocrosslinking. The bioink was evaluated for rheological properties, swelling behavior, printability and biocompatibility of encapsulated bovine chondrocytes. Elution of HA-pNIPAAM from the scaffold was necessary to obtain good viability. HA-pNIPAAM can therefore be used to support extrusion of a range of biopolymers which undergo tandem gelation, thereby facilitating the printing of cell-laden, stratified cartilage constructs with zonally varying composition and stiffness.

bioink presentation_1 bioink presentation_2 bioink presentation_3 bioink presentation_4 bioink presentation_5 bioink presentation_6 bioink presentation_7 bioink presentation_8 bioink presentation_9 bioink presentation_10 bioink presentation_11 bioink presentation_12 bioink presentation_13 bioink presentation_14 bioink presentation_15

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D749wZSlb0

For more information see:

http://www.slideshare.net/StephenJWilliamsPhD/clipboards/my-clips

 

And for more information on biopaper and methodology please see this pdf file courtesy of The First Symposium on BioPrinting in Tissue Engineering (see file) biopaper presentation

 

 

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Augmented Meta-reality

Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP, Curator

LPBI

 

TED releases Meta 2 augmented-reality presentation video

http://www.kurzweilai.net/ted-releases-meta-2-augmented-reality-presentation-video

TED just released the full video of Meta CEO Meron Gribetz’s preview of Meta’s next-generation augmented reality (AR) technology at the TED 2016 conference on Feb. 17. It can be found online at metavision.com and TED.com.

The presentation, which Forbes said “dazzles TED crowd” and received a standing ovation from TED attendees, dramatically showcases the capabilities of the Meta 2 Development Kit. Launched two weeks ago, the Meta 2 kit is now available for pre-order at $949 at metavision.com. (Also see “First ‘natural machine’ augmented reality product Meta 2 launches to developers.)

http://www.ted.com/talks/meron_gribetz_a_glimpse_of_the_future_through_an_augmented_reality_headset#

 

comments

According to available information, Meta devices use holographic imagery for human-machine interfaces. HoloTouch, Inc. has developed significant patented technology in the field of human-machine interfaces by means of holographic imagery. See http://holotouch.com   McPheters

The direct link to the video can be found athttp://www.ted.com/talks/quick-list for those who (like Google) have issues with “flash”.

I think that the most interesting point Meron made was about shared interactions, that will be the “killer app” for AR.

I did notice one thing that may cause Meron problems if he wants to be using AR all the time, he talks with his hands as much as I do. 🙂

AR systems will need to be able to differentiate between command gestures and language gestures. Without this ability AR could be dangerous to use in many contexts. The simplest way would to not act on gestures when the user is talking, but this limitation may be unreasonable. Only an intelligent, adaptive, system could be sophisticated enough at interpreting clues to do this, therefore the future success of AR depends on AI.

Keep in mind that it is not just an issue of the user having self control, because we may also have involuntary movements to, e.g. sudden loud noises, or the use of taboo words such as “nigger”, depending on our reflexes and our social conditioning. You don’t want to have a nasty accident because some sociopath trolled you.    DSM

Alternatively, one may await this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoWi10YVmfE   JordanMicahBennett

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